It’s not a ‘top ten’, it’s simply a declaration of ten Swans releases from the 1982-1998 period that I feel best represent the band in particular eras or that are particularly unique and rewarding. Certainly it’d be hard to ever claim Swans were a ‘nice’ band, their concerns were deeply metaphysical; flesh as an anchor forcing compromise and failure upon the soul and spirit, the voluntary subjugation of mind and soul beneath ideologies and social arrangements, the potential for oblivion as the only freedom, the eventual declarations of scorn upon those who ignored the band and blunt statements of the end of the project. Cheery stuff for a Wednesday but genuinely superlative and significant music.

…That bit where I mentioned her contribution to Blackmail? I ADORE that song! And she gets mentioned for her contributions to Soundtracks for the Blind…And generally credit for instrumentalism goes also to her. She’s really cool and a talented individual. No bones.

They were my favourite band for so many years, saw them live twice, Gira solo once, but Angels of Light did nothing for me, and his book, The Consumer? Awful. But that Body Lovers album is still one of the best things I’ve ever heard.